A little background about my deer lease... I hunt on a 22k acre lease in Kinney County and we hardly ever see any exotics. Between roughly 30 hunters we might take one axis a year off the whole place. Amazing whitetail hunting but the exotic numbers have never been there. Anyways, I started getting pics of a couple axis early season about once every 2/3 weeks but never saw them in person. I have never killed an axis before other than a little spike so I had high hopes of the big one showing up one day.
This past weekend was New Years and I was debating on returning to the deer lease or not. The fiancé wanted to spend it in town with some close friends and she kept reminded me how I already got my two bucks and didn’t have anything to hunt. I kind of made the smart *** comment well I have that huge axis on camera… (she didn’t know I had not seen him on camera in over a month
and the few pics I did have were at night usually) but I just couldn’t miss the last weekend of hunting season so I headed westbound Friday night.
I started hunting Saturday am in my tripod with very little hopes of seeing much, I just had to be in the woods. The hunt started off great with plenty of WT when out came four young axis bucks that I had never seen before on camera. I was somewhat in shock and debating on taking one with my bow for the meat but decided to pass due to it sure would be nice to see more axis in the future years. Well then two more came out with one being a low 20s deer. This one got me excited, like I said I have never killed an axis buck… so I got the bow ready and just as I was about to pull back something spooked them and they took off. I sat there confused as none of my WT left but brushed it off as an o well and least I saw some.
I returned to the same stand Saturday evening and happen to see two new axis bucks. They were very skittish but new axis, I was in shock that I had now seen 6 axis bucks in one day. Just like the morning hunt they were spooked easy and did not stay around long (both were spikes and wasn’t planning on shooting anyways. I left that evening discouraged but also very happy, I had not seen an axis all year long with the majority of the other 30 hunters and it was nice knowing they were around.
Well, long story short I partied a little too hard New Years Eve and didn’t get to bed too early. My buddy who I was suppose to take hunting that morning came and knocked on my door around 5am and I didn’t make it up. I think I mumbled I’m sleeping in and he left to hunt his area.. sorry Shane. I think I finally came to my senses around 530 and got out of bed. I put on my clothes and hauled butt to the blind. I ended up sitting in the rifle blind that morning because I felt like taking it a little easier and more relaxed .
At first light I was scanning thru my binocs and noticed a couple axis coming in, followed by a couple more, followed by a couple more, followed by OMG OMG OMG. I had never seen a big axis alive before in person and I saw him thru the binocs before the naked eye so he looked gigantic. I immediately thru up the rifle and found him in the scope. My heart has not pounded like that in a very long time, he didn’t even look real to me he was so big. I had the cross hairs on his chest but was waiting for a broadside shot, there had to be 8-10 different axis bucks there bundled up and I was just waiting for the perfect shot. I remember I kept looking at his antlers and when he stood up straight and looked at me the tips were above the protein feeder. Just when I was getting ready to shoot, a WT doe blew maybe 500 yards away and all the axis took off. I never cussed myself so bad in my life, I should have shot him in the chest, I should have shot him when he was there, I should have shot him there…. He was out maybe 2 minutes and as fast as he appeared he was gone.
I spent the rest of the day with my head down, kicking myself thinking that was my only chance and I will never see him again. I just couldn’t get over how skittish these animals were. If any of you were out hunting Sunday you knew it was hot, like really hot. I headed out for the stand in shorts and a t shirt with an ice chest like it was early October. I was sitting in the rifle blind swatting wasp, and wiping sweat hoping for the best. At about 515 I start to see a couple young axis coming thru the brush… I immediately grab the rifle thinking just in case he is with them I will be ready, since you apparently have 2 minutes to get a shot off on these guys. Well luck was on my side and he was the 4th one out of the brush, I put the cross hairs on his shoulder and released the 270 before he was even completely out in the open, he had to be out less than 10 seconds … and he dropped! I quickly look up shaking to see about 10 axis bucks run off but mine down for the count.
I made my way to him and he had no ground shrinkage, I do not know much about axis but I knew he was big! Dang was I happy, and on the last regular hunt of deer season on New Year’s Day! I tried taking a couple pics with the timer on my phone than loaded him up in the ranger (heaviest animal I have ever loaded alone, it took all I had) I finished the season with two great WT and a free range 32” 255 lb. gold medal axis, probably the best season of my life! Happy New Years Guys.
This past weekend was New Years and I was debating on returning to the deer lease or not. The fiancé wanted to spend it in town with some close friends and she kept reminded me how I already got my two bucks and didn’t have anything to hunt. I kind of made the smart *** comment well I have that huge axis on camera… (she didn’t know I had not seen him on camera in over a month
and the few pics I did have were at night usually) but I just couldn’t miss the last weekend of hunting season so I headed westbound Friday night.I started hunting Saturday am in my tripod with very little hopes of seeing much, I just had to be in the woods. The hunt started off great with plenty of WT when out came four young axis bucks that I had never seen before on camera. I was somewhat in shock and debating on taking one with my bow for the meat but decided to pass due to it sure would be nice to see more axis in the future years. Well then two more came out with one being a low 20s deer. This one got me excited, like I said I have never killed an axis buck… so I got the bow ready and just as I was about to pull back something spooked them and they took off. I sat there confused as none of my WT left but brushed it off as an o well and least I saw some.
I returned to the same stand Saturday evening and happen to see two new axis bucks. They were very skittish but new axis, I was in shock that I had now seen 6 axis bucks in one day. Just like the morning hunt they were spooked easy and did not stay around long (both were spikes and wasn’t planning on shooting anyways. I left that evening discouraged but also very happy, I had not seen an axis all year long with the majority of the other 30 hunters and it was nice knowing they were around.
Well, long story short I partied a little too hard New Years Eve and didn’t get to bed too early. My buddy who I was suppose to take hunting that morning came and knocked on my door around 5am and I didn’t make it up. I think I mumbled I’m sleeping in and he left to hunt his area.. sorry Shane. I think I finally came to my senses around 530 and got out of bed. I put on my clothes and hauled butt to the blind. I ended up sitting in the rifle blind that morning because I felt like taking it a little easier and more relaxed .
At first light I was scanning thru my binocs and noticed a couple axis coming in, followed by a couple more, followed by a couple more, followed by OMG OMG OMG. I had never seen a big axis alive before in person and I saw him thru the binocs before the naked eye so he looked gigantic. I immediately thru up the rifle and found him in the scope. My heart has not pounded like that in a very long time, he didn’t even look real to me he was so big. I had the cross hairs on his chest but was waiting for a broadside shot, there had to be 8-10 different axis bucks there bundled up and I was just waiting for the perfect shot. I remember I kept looking at his antlers and when he stood up straight and looked at me the tips were above the protein feeder. Just when I was getting ready to shoot, a WT doe blew maybe 500 yards away and all the axis took off. I never cussed myself so bad in my life, I should have shot him in the chest, I should have shot him when he was there, I should have shot him there…. He was out maybe 2 minutes and as fast as he appeared he was gone.
I spent the rest of the day with my head down, kicking myself thinking that was my only chance and I will never see him again. I just couldn’t get over how skittish these animals were. If any of you were out hunting Sunday you knew it was hot, like really hot. I headed out for the stand in shorts and a t shirt with an ice chest like it was early October. I was sitting in the rifle blind swatting wasp, and wiping sweat hoping for the best. At about 515 I start to see a couple young axis coming thru the brush… I immediately grab the rifle thinking just in case he is with them I will be ready, since you apparently have 2 minutes to get a shot off on these guys. Well luck was on my side and he was the 4th one out of the brush, I put the cross hairs on his shoulder and released the 270 before he was even completely out in the open, he had to be out less than 10 seconds … and he dropped! I quickly look up shaking to see about 10 axis bucks run off but mine down for the count.
I made my way to him and he had no ground shrinkage, I do not know much about axis but I knew he was big! Dang was I happy, and on the last regular hunt of deer season on New Year’s Day! I tried taking a couple pics with the timer on my phone than loaded him up in the ranger (heaviest animal I have ever loaded alone, it took all I had) I finished the season with two great WT and a free range 32” 255 lb. gold medal axis, probably the best season of my life! Happy New Years Guys.
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